The American Psychiatric Association is in the process of updating its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the DSM-5. This is the “bible” used by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to diagnosis psychiatric conditions, including antisocial personality disorder. Two members of the committee working on personality disorders have resigned, stating that the proposal displays a “stunning disregard for evidence.”
Dr. Liane Leedom and I had issues with how the first draft described antisocial personality disorder, which was why we conducted a Lovefraud survey back in 2010. Based on the survey results, we submitted Lovefraud’s  comment about sociopaths for the DSM-5. The description was since revised, but apparently there are professionals who are still dissatisfied.
If the professionals can’t agree, no wonder the rest of us are confused.
Two who resigend from DSM-5 explain why, on PyschologyToday.com.
I was glad to see that these two men stood up and were “counted” by not only resigning when they saw that staying was futile, but that they also “went public” with WHY they resigned.
I have “forever” been frustrated by the lack of reasonable consensus among psychologists and psychiatrists in diagnostic criteria and especially in the NAME of the disorder…yes, no wonder the media paints psychopaths/sociopaths as serial killers and when there are “Snakes in Suits” they are not recognized for the life-destroying demons that they are….they don’t have to shoot, stab or strangle someone to “ruin their lives” completely…only con and manipulate.
Frankly I don’t have any idea that the final product will be any better than the last one which left out the labels psychopathy or sociopathy all together and called what amounted to what we commonly think of by those terms as “Anti-social PD”–but even that was not exactly the same as S/P.
The “diagnostic codes” which are in use are more, I think, INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT DRIVEN than anything else. When I first went to work in a family medical clinic as a Registered Nurse Practitioner and I got my very own insurance billing and Medicare billing number I wasn’t much interested in “which number” I used for an office visit as long as I got the patient’s CARE right…but let me tell you, the OFFICE MANAGER CURED ME OF THAT right quick!
I had to make sure that the codes matched up with what I did to or for the patient as well as what was charged either to the Insurance co, medicare or to the patient. Not doing so correctly could have put me in prison or given me huge fines.
I also think that in psychology, many of the “diagnostic” code fights and “criteria” for each Diagnosis is EGO driven by those who are on the committees.
My husband used to say that ” A camel is a horse designed by a committee…everyone has to put their own hump on it” I think the new DSM V is starting out to have a lot of “humps” on it but I’m not sure it will “run” very well in the Derby.
OMG!
What a perfect ending to your post OxD. I love the camel comment.
I just read the article referenced above and the comments of the people who also read it.
It is truley scary. I have to commend the two men who stood with their integrity intact.
Donna, thank you so much for posting this article. One word: YIKES!
The “professionals” are trying to pigeon-hole individuals and the ONLY facts and data that are apparently collected are by the professionals who have “researched” these disordered people under whatever circumstances. They study the individuals under controlled environments and do not observe or interact with them outside of a “professional” capacity. How in the heck can they actually be so arrogant as to believe that there are a “set” of rules or criteria that a “disordered” person must meet in order to be properly diagnosed?!?! REALLLLLLY?!
OxD….LMAO! Holy shitballs – all the panel needs to do is to collect data from SURVIVORS of these individuals! They’ll never collect accurate data from the “disordered,” and they cannot (and, will not) admit this simple fact: predatory individuals can even fool the trained professional.
Donna has an extensive “database” of true experiences and polls that could be useful information for these professionals. I’m certain that other sources could offer the same type of information, as well. The DSM-IV and proposed DSM-V are simply insufficient with regards to “disorders” that involve CHOICES rather than organically-genertated responses or behaviors (schizophrenia, for instance). We know that a schizophrenic cannot help their choices and behaviors if they are severe enough and remain unmedicated and unsupervised. We “KNOW” this. But, there is NO medication, surgery, psychotherapy, religious epiphany, or New Age holistic approach that will even MANAGE behavioral “disorders,” much less CURE them.
What will it take for the “professionals” to simply admit that personality “disorders” are actually “conditions” and that they are, for all intents and purposes, untreatable?! Honestly, how hard is it for these professionals to accept the fact that they are not gods?
TOWANDA for the two members that resigned!!!! That took a lot of courage, conviction, and integrity and these qualities are SORELY lacking in such an ego-infused profession.
Brightest blessings!
As an aside, I actually SNARKED and SNORTED (thanks, OxD!) over the statement that said that the conclusions were “unreadable!” LMAOLMAO!!!! Has anyone ever actually READ a psychological or psychiatric diagnosis?! Of those who have, who was able to clearly understand the language? It’s psychspeak that is reserved – RESERVED, I say – for a private and secretive “society.” Laypeople aren’t invited to understand the language, much less, interprete it.
Really this situation may not have a solution.
As I consider it now, it seems that using the word “Evil” in the DSMV would be the answer. It’s a word that actually encompasses all of the behavior and conditions in the Anti-social PD. Evil is the only thing that describes it all.
But then I remember that I read, “People of the Lie” in 1984 and the word “evil” is what made me discount what I had observed in my spath. He was so nice, how could he be evil? Just because he lied all the time, didn’t make him evil.
Now, I’m of the opinion that a description which doesn’t include the words “shame and envy”, will fall short of the mark. Yes, evil is also spot on, but too many people have an aversion to it. Just like I did.
Well, we are getting closer just by virtue of the dialog. There is hope.
Skylar, you wrote that you don’t believe that there is a solution to this situation, and it struck me like a thunderbolt as to why what you’ve just typed may be a fact.
There is no “solution” to these “disordered” people. So, how can anyone expect to produce a “solution” to even define them? I don’t believe there are enough nouns and adjectives to use as descriptions of their behaviors.
“Evil” is apt, 100%, but most people associate this word in a religious or spiritual context. People can’t just “be evil” without there being some sort of otherworldly reason – if that makes sense.
Truthspeak,
yes, evil is the only word that fits. yet evil is also ephemeral. We don’t understand it, so we go back to psychiatric definitions, ASPD,, psychopathic, etc… but they don’t encompass it entirely the way that evil does, so we go back to evil.
It’s painful. it really is. to have experienced something with no name.
Sky your last statement made me think about “No Name City” in “Paint your Wagon” LOL Yea, that’s what we have experienced is something with NO NAME as far as psychology has…yet it does have a name it is EVIL. We have experienced dealing with people who are truly EVIL.
Interesting. Evil, is something with no name….This brings me back to my (limited) study of Trauma Literature, which holds that trauma leaves the victim speachless. Therefore, the “Literature” of trauma, is always expressed in a disguised form. It is always express through symbols, and or Allegory, and is always veiled……
I believe that is what Horror is…why we have horror films. It is a way to examine evil, and trauma, without really naming it, because we have no real language to do so, and it will always be expressed and repressed, simultaineously. (Never, could spell.)
Yes, evil, is that which can not be named.